and then there were Four.
by The 18th Angel
Summary: What if Toji wasn't the Fourth Child? Can Asuka save a friend from a tragic fate?


Disclaimer: Just so everyone's clear on this, Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax and Mr. Anno. It's not mine; I'm just borrowing it for a minute or two. Okay? Okay.  
* * * * *  
Dedication: To my roommate even though he'll never read this. In fact, he hates Anime. In fact, he talks incessantly and turns on Pro Wrestling whenever I watch EVA, which often makes me want to see *him* crushed in Unit 03's entry plug. So I guess that's why this story is dedicated to him.  
* * * * *  
Author's Note: This will become obvious two or three paragraphs into the story but I'll say it anyway. I have taken certain liberties with the events surrounding the selection of the Fourth Child. If you see something in conflict with the events depicted in the show, you may safely assume that the change is a result of the artistic liberties I took, not a lack of knowledge on my part. Thanks.  
* * * * *  
  
* * * * *  
  
"....and then there were Four."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Hikari Horaki, Hikari Horaki. Please report to the Principal's office immediately."  
  
Hikari looked up from her computer terminal at the sound of her name. The order to report to the Principal's office sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach. In eight years of school, she had *never* been called before her school Principal, not even once. Hikari strove to be a model student; one of her responsibilities as Class Rep. was to set a good example for the other students. She couldn't imagine what she could have done to warrant a visit to the Principal's office.   
  
Nervously, Hikari stood up, casting a glance at the desk next to her where Asuka Langley Soryu sat. Strangely, Asuka wouldn't meet Hikari's gaze. She looked away, staring out the window. Disheartened by her friend's strange behavior, Hikari left the classroom and quickly made her way to the Principal's Office.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Oh, I'd give anything to be an EVA pilot!" Kensuke whined.  
  
Shinji did his best to act sympathetic toward Kensuke. He couldn't imagine why anyone would *want* to pilot an Evangelion, but Kensuke did, for whatever reason, and part of Shinji almost felt bad for his friend. Ever since he had somehow heard that the NERV was looking for the Fourth Child, EVA piloting was all Kensuke could think about. But Shinji couldn't make himself feel too bad about Kensuke not being chosen to pilot Unit 03; he didn't want any of his friends in that kind of danger.  
  
"I just don't get it." Kensuke said. "I know I've got what it takes. Why won't Misato make me a pilot?"  
  
"Well....you can't really *make* someone a pilot." Shinji said, trying to comfort his friend. "The way I understand it, it's more the EVA's choice than anything else."  
  
Kensuke sighed, obviously feeling defeated. "So I wonder who did get chosen."  
  
"Well, you said Unit 03 was built in America right?" Shinji suggested. "Maybe they already chose a pilot over there."  
  
"WHAT?" Shinji and Kensuke turned to see Asuka standing behind them. "You mean you *don't* know who the pilot is?" She asked.  
  
"No." Shinji said. "Do you?"  
  
Asuka seemed about to say something, but she stopped herself. "No..." She said. "I don't." She seemed to regain her composure a bit. "I just assumed they'd tell an Ace Pilot like you, Shinji. That's all." She added in a voice laced with sarcasm. Even Shinji could tell that Asuka was holding something back, but he chose not to pursue it. The last thing he needed was to have a fight with Asuka today.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Late that afternoon, when all the other students had gone home, Hikari sat alone in the deserted classroom. She barely moved at all. She simply stared straight ahead at the blackboard in the front of the room. A multitude of emotions flowed through her as she stared at the blank wall. Excitement, only a small amount, but it was there. Loneliness, because she had no one to share her feelings with. But most of all fear. Fear of what the future held for her. This morning she had just been Hikari. Hikari the Class Rep. Hikari the model student. Hikari the little sister. Now she was the Fourth Child.  
  
She wished Asuka were here. Or Shinji. Or even Rei. Someone who could understand what she felt. Hikari didn't want to be an EVA pilot. She had told them that. She had stood there in the Principal's office with tears streaming down her face and begged Misato to make it go away; to say she wouldn't have to do it. But it was no use. She had been chosen; there was nothing anyone could do about it. She would have to accept her fate.  
  
A sound at the door startled Hikari. Looking up, she saw Toji Suzahara standing in the door. "Hey, Class Rep." Toji said. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Uh nothing...." Hikari stood up, her fears momentarily pushed to the back of her mind and replaced by the usual nervousness that came with being near Toji. "Why are you here, Suzahara?" She asked politely.  
  
"I just came to get the work I missed yesterday. I was visiting my sister in the hospital." Toji explained, sitting down at his desk and switching his computer terminal on.  
  
"Oh..." Hikari said. "I gave those to Ikari to give to you."   
  
"Yeah." Toji said. "But I can't go to Shinji's place right now. He's still got Kensuke hanging all over him, whining about not being the new EVA pilot or something."  
  
"Oh....really?" Hikari's anxiety about the Evangelion came crashing back down on her.  
  
"Yeah." Toji said. "You know, I hope whoever they chose instead appreciates what the rest of us have to put up with now. I mean you'd think that......" Toji's voice trailed off when he saw the look on Hikari's face. "Hey....what's wrong?" He asked, suddenly concerned.  
  
"Nothing." Hikari turned away quickly, trying to hide the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes.  
  
"Hikari?" Toji said, coming up behind her. "What's going on? Are you all right?" She turned to face Toji, tears still in her eyes. "Hey." He said. "We've known each other for a long time. If something's wrong, you can tell me."  
  
"It's me." Hikari said quietly.  
  
"What?" Toji asked. "What's you?"  
  
"The Pilot. The Fourth Child.....It's me." She said.  
  
"Hikari......" Toji searched desperately for the right words. "I didn't.....I had no idea....."  
  
"I'm scared Toji." Hikari said, in voice teetering precariously on the edge of tears. "I don't want to do this. What if I mess up? What if I end up hurting someone? What if I'm just not good enough?"  
  
"Shhhh. Hey." Toji put his hands on Hikari's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "That could never happen."  
  
"How do you know?" Hikari asked.  
  
"Because you *don't* mess up." Toji said, smiling. "Aren't you the only person in the class to get 100% on *every* Algebra test this year? And piloting an EVA can't be as hard as Algebra." Hikari's face perked up a little at his words. "I mean, who do we know who are EVA pilots?" Toji continued. "Shinji, Asuka, and Rei. If those three can do it, *anyone* can. I bet you're gonna go in there and show them all how it's *supposed* to be done."  
  
"You really think so?" Hikari asked, wiping away the tears on her cheeks.  
  
Toji smiled. "Trust me."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"So how did she take it?" Dr. Ritsuko Akagi asked the woman next to her.  
  
"Pretty hard." Misato replied. "She seemed really upset."  
  
"But she agreed to do it?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
Misato sighed. "Yeah, she agreed. She'll be arriving at Matsushiro tomorrow."  
  
"Have you told Shinji yet?"  
  
"Not yet." Misato admitted. "She *is* a friend of his after all. I don't want to put that kind of stress on him again until we're sure he can handle it. I'll tell him after the activation test. Assuming Asuka doesn't let it slip first."  
  
"Asuka?" Ritsuko said, startled. "How did she find out?"  
  
"I don't have a clue." Misato said. "But she knows."  
  
"Did she seem....ok with it?" Ritsuko asked tentatively.  
  
"I'm not sure." Misato replied. "Asuka's so hard to read. She looked fine, as far as I could tell, but......Hikari's her best friend. I know Asuka must be worried about her." She looked off into the distance. "I just hope everything goes all right tomorrow....."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hikari arrived at NERV's test facility in Matsushiro early the next morning. She was given something to eat for breakfast in the small cafeteria, but she couldn't work up any kind of appetite. Mostly she was afraid that if she did eat something, she would embarrass herself later by being unable to keep it down.   
  
"Hikari?" Hikari looked up to see Misato Katsuragi walking toward her.   
  
"Miss....uh Major Katsuragi." Hikari corrected herself.  
  
"It's ok, Misato's fine, the older woman said. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm....ok I guess." Hikari replied. Misato nodded and turned to go. "Misato!" Hikari called out. Misato turned back to her. "I'm scared." She said.  
  
Misato sat down in the chair next to Hikari. "I know." She said. "But you just have to trust us. Dr. Akagi and I aren't going to let anything happen to you, I promise. All you have to do today is sit in the entry plug and let us turn Unit 03 on. That's it."  
  
"And after?"  
  
Misato frowned. So that was it. Hikari didn't fear the test itself. She was afraid of what would happen after the test, when she became a combat pilot. When she would have to fight the Angels. "Well......" Misato said. "We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it." She smiled. "Don't worry. You're going to be a great pilot."  
  
"Okay." Hikari managed to smile weakly. "Yeah, okay." She said. "I can do this."  
  
"All right then." Misato said. "Let's get you suited up."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Misato led Hikari to a small locker room. Inside, Hikari found a locker with her name written on a strip of masking tape. Inside the locker, Hikari found her first plug suit. Asuka had told her about the form-fitting plug suits but she had never actually seen one. She had certainly never thought she would ever wear one. The suit that hung in her locker was dark gray with a few black highlights on the arms and legs. '03' was written on the chest of the suit in white. The entire suit was made of some kind of synthetic fabric, like a wetsuit.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Hikari quickly stripped out of her clothes and pulled on the loose plug suit. A card taped to the inside of the locker told her to press the button on her left wrist. Hikari did as the card said. As soon as she pressed the button, the plug suit shrank, conforming to the shape of her body. She had expected the suit to feel tight, but it was surprisingly comfortable, like a second skin. Hikari found a set of hair clips on the shelf in her locker. They looked just like the clips Asuka wore everywhere, except these were the same dark gray as Hikari's plug suit. Hikari used the heavy clips to pull her hair back out of her face. Leaving her clothes folded neatly on the shelf, Hikari walked back to where Misato was waiting.  
  
"Ready to go?" Misato asked. Hikari forced a smile and nodded. "Then let's go see your EVA."  
  
* * * * *  
  
More than anything, Unit 03 looked like a combination of Shinji's Unit 01 and Asuka's Unit 02. The EVA's armor was completely black except for the tips of the plates on its shoulders. Looking up at Unit 03's face, Hikari got only one impression from the giant robot. It scared the hell out of her. This was the first time she had ever seen an Evangelion up close. Maybe it was just because she had only seen them from a distance, but the EVAs her friends piloted had never filled her with the same sense of dread and foreboding that Unit 03 did. She shuddered involuntarily.  
  
"We're ready to start." Misato said, leading Hikari to the open entry plug. "Good luck."  
  
The next few minutes were mostly a blur to Hikari. She sat in the darkened entry plug; surrounded by a foul smelling liquid Misato called 'LCL', and listened as technicians rattled off a huge list of technical jargon.  
  
"Evangelion Unit 03 locked and secured."  
  
"S2 Unit functioning within acceptable limits."  
  
"Configuring language interface for Japanese."  
  
After a while, Hikari gave up listening and simply sank back into her seat. Her nervousness was beginning to wear off and Hikari suddenly found she was very hungry. The test seemed to be going all right so far. Nevertheless, she hoped it would be over soon.  
  
"Alright Hikari." Misato's voice seemed to fill the entry plug. "We're going to activate Unit 03 now. It's going to feel a little weird your first time, kind of like your whole body's asleep. That's normal. Understand?"  
  
"Ok." Hikari said.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"We're ready." Misato said.  
  
Ritsuko nodded. "Beginning activation." She called out, watching as a series of green bars on the screen in front of her lit up in sequence. Having started far back in negative numbers, the bars were rapidly approaching the line marked '0.0'. "Approaching absolute borderline." Ritsuko reported. "Borderline minus 0.5, 0.3. Absolute borderline minus 0.1." The green bars hovered just above the 0.0 line for a second, and then suddenly shot back into negatives.  
  
"Pulses are flowing backwards!" Ritsuko shouted.  
  
"Damn! Break the circuit! Cease activation!" Misato ordered.  
  
"Negative!" Someone shouted back. "The signal's not being received!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"The nerve connections are breaking off! IT'S OUT OF CONTROL!" Ritsuko cried.  
  
Misato's first thought was of Hikari, the girl must have been scared out of her mind by now. "Force eject the entry plug!" She yelled. "Get her out of there!" Ritsuko pulled the emergency ejection handle next to her station. The top of Unit 03's back shot off with explosive force, but the entry plug would not eject. It was being held in place by thick strands of some type of adhesive.   
  
"OH MY GOD!" One of the technicians yelled. "Unit 03's pattern is shifting! Pattern Blue! IT'S AN ANGEL!!!" That was the last thing any of them heard before the test chamber exploded.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asuka was sitting in class, staring at Hikari's empty desk when the cell phone in her bag began ringing. When she heard two other phones ringing behind her, she began to worry. Only two other people were allowed to bring cell phones into the classroom: Shinji and Rei. If all three of them were being called at once that could only mean that there was trouble. She immediately thought of Hikari and Unit 03's activation test. She unfolded the phone and put it to her ear.  
  
"Pilot Soryu:" A recorded voice spoke to her. "A special state of emergency exists. Report to Headquarters immediately." In the corner of her eye, Asuka saw Shinji and Rei heading for the door.  
  
*Please let it be an Angel. Please let it be an Angel.* Asuka thought as she stood up and followed her fellow pilots out into the hallway. Any Angel, no matter how dangerous, would be better than hearing that something had gone wrong with Hikari's test.   
  
* * * * *  
  
The express transit system dropped them off at Headquarters a few minutes later. Ryoji Kaji was waiting for them in the briefing room. The second he saw the older man; Shinji knew that something was very wrong, more than just an Angel attack. This was the first time Shinji had ever seen Kaji without a smile on his face. Whatever had happened, it had to be drastic to stun Kaji out of his usual good spirits.  
  
"What's going on, Kaji?" Asuka demanded. "Is it an Angel?" Shinji thought he detected a strange tone in Asuka's voice. Was it hope? Did Asuka want there to be an Angel?  
  
Kaji frowned at her question. He seemed hesitant. "In a manner of speaking." He finally said.   
  
"Ok then!" Asuka's spirits suddenly seemed to shoot through the roof. "Let's get out there and kick its ass!"  
  
"It's.....not that simple this time, Asuka." Kaji said. He pulled a remote control out of his pocket and pointed it at the double screens in the front of the room. The screens snapped on showing video of the Matsushiro test site. On the screens, Shinji got his first look at Unit 03, bolted into place, with its entry plug being inserted.  
  
"No....." Asuka said, her voice barely coming above a whisper.  
  
"Twenty minutes ago we lost contact with the test team at Matsushiro." Kaji said.   
  
"What?" Shinji asked. "But Misato's there! Is she......?"  
  
"The condition of the test staff, including Major Katsuragi is...unknown." Kaji said grimly. "We managed to extract this video from the security system before we lost contact completely." On the screen, they saw Unit 03 standing still. They heard Ritsuko's voice counting down.  
  
"Approaching absolute borderline. Borderline minus 0.5, 0.3. Absolute borderline minus 0.1." Suddenly, Unit 03's eyes took on an unnatural glow. "Pulses are flowing backwards!" They heard Ritsuko shout. Suddenly Misato's voice came over the speakers.  
  
"Damn! Break the circuit! Cease activation!" As soon as Misato spoke, the entire video went silent.   
  
"This is where we lost sound." Kaji said. On the screens they saw Unit 03's back armor fly off, but the entry plug was held inside the EVA by some kind of sticky fibers. Seconds later, the screens when white, then dropped into static. "Since then, we've had no contact with the test facility." Kaji said, he pressed another button on the controller and the video changed to a view of the Japanese countryside, presumably somewhere near Matsushiro. "But we picked this up heading toward Tokyo 3." Shinji could barely believe what he saw next. He heard Asuka inhale sharply, the sound she made was somewhere between a breath and a sob.   
  
On the screen, striding purposefully toward them was Unit 03. The EVA looked...different. There was something about the way it walked; its arms hanging limp at its sides, its jaw slack, an evil light burning in its eyes. No human moved that way. That could only mean one thing; Unit 03's pilot was not in control of the Evangelion. Suddenly, Shinji realized exactly where he had seen that walk before. In his first battle. When he fought the Third Angel. The giant monster had walked with the same unnatural gait that Unit 03 currently employed.  
  
"Is....*that* the Angel?" Shinji asked.  
  
Kaji nodded grimly. "Yes." He said. "Ten minutes ago the designation was changed from Unit 03 to the Thirteenth Angel. The three of you are being sent to intercept it."  
  
"But without Misato, who's going to command us?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Commander Ikari will manage this operation." Kaji said. He looked into Shinji's eyes and obviously saw the fear Shinji felt for Misato. "You have to destroy that Angel...." He said. "Or we won't have a chance to rescue Misato."  
  
"But.....but there's a person inside the EVA, isn't there? We can't......we can't *kill* a human." Shinji said.  
  
"Then you'll have to disable it without injuring the pilot." Kaji said. "Now suit up. You launch in five minutes."  
  
* * * * *  
  
The locker room was silent as Rei and Asuka changed into their plug suits. Of course that was nothing new; Asuka and Rei didn't talk to each other. Ever. Asuka remembered her first thought after seeing Hikari's name on Kaji's computer screen. After the initial feeling of nervousness for her friend, she had been elated that she would finally have someone she could hold a decent conversation with as an ally. Now she didn't even know if Hikari was alive or dead. Even if her friend was still alive, she was trapped inside an Angel that Asuka was being sent to kill. Well, she had been hoping for an Angel attack, and she had gotten one. Fate had a sick sense of humor sometimes.  
  
"Don't worry." Rei suddenly spoke up. Asuka spun around to face the girl. "I am sure she is all right."  
  
"What the hell do you know about it, Wondergirl?" Asuka snapped. She turned away. She wouldn't give Rei the satisfaction of seeing the fear in her eyes. "You don't know anything." She said. "For all we know, she's already dead."  
  
"Do you really want to believe that?" Rei asked quietly.  
  
"Shut up!" Asuka yelled. "Don't talk to me!" Slamming her locker closed, Asuka stormed out of the locker room. It wasn't until she was halfway down the hall that Asuka realized she hadn't tightened her plug suit. Fighting back tears, Asuka pressed the button on her wrist, feeling the familiar sensation of the plug suit tightening against her skin. "Don't worry." She whispered. "I'll get you out of that thing. I promise."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hikari clawed her way painfully back to consciousness. At first she couldn't remember where she was or what was happening. Then it suddenly came back to her. She had been inside Unit 03's entry plug, listening to Dr. Akagi counting down, and then.....what had happened? The last thing she remembered was a bright light filling the test chamber, then she had blacked out. Looking up, Hikari realized that she was outside. And she was moving; well, not she, Unit 03 was moving without any direction from her. Hikari didn't know that much about the EVAs but she knew they weren't supposed to move on their own. Something was wrong.  
  
Hikari grabbed the handles in front of her and pulled on them desperately. But it was no use. The EVA would not respond to her. Hikari sank back into her seat, defeated. *Why is this happening?* she wondered. *What did I do wrong?*  
  
Hikari was abruptly jarred from her thoughts when she saw something in front of her. A giant red figure stood in Unit 03's path. It was Unit 02! Asuka! For the first time since waking up in the berserk EVA's entry plug, Hikari allowed herself to hope that she might make it out of this situation safely. Surely her friend would rescue her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Asuka saw Unit 03 shuffling toward her, she felt her eyes watering again. Had it only been yesterday that she had imagined seeing Unit 03 with her best friend at the controls? She had imagined that the EVA's movement would somehow be similar to Hikari's. But the Evangelion in front of her did not show any reflection of the girl trapped inside it. The Thirteenth Angel walked with the steady, mindless steps of a zombie.   
  
"Okay, Asuka." She said to herself, raising her rifle. "Avoid the entry plug. Just take out its legs." Even as she said it, Asuka knew in her heart how futile that plan was. Even if she managed to disable the EVA's legs, it would still be under the Angel's control. How could she possibly destroy the Angel without harming the entry plug? The harsh, unsympathetic truth was that she had very little, if any, chance of defeating the Angel without hurting Hikari.  
  
Suddenly, Asuka realized she had made a fatal error. She had become so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't kept her eyes on Unit 03. That realization came seconds before she felt a huge weight slam into her back. Unit 02 was thrown to the ground. Asuka rolled over and saw Unit 03 staring down at her. The black EVA leaned over and grabbed Unit 02 by the arms. Asuka struggled against her attacker, but Unit 03 held her tight. It was immensely strong, even for an Evangelion, and Asuka suspected that the Angel had enhanced the EVA's abilities somehow. All of this passed through her mind in a split second as the EVA lifted Unit 02 and slammed it against the mountain road behind them. Unit 03 kept applying pressure, pushing Unit 02 against the unyielding road so hard that the red EVA actually began to lean backwards, and still Unit 03 kept pressing.   
  
Asuka became aware of a snapping sound, accompanied seconds later by a sharp pain in the small of her back. The sound and the pain intensified as Unit 03 pushed her against the elevated road with ever-increasing force. Moments later, the snapping sound climaxed in a deafening *CRACK* and the pain in Asuka's back disappeared, along with every sensation below her waist. A terrifying realization came to Asuka; Unit 02's back had been broken.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Spinal damage to Unit 02!" Maya cried out. "The second and third Lumbar Vertebrae have been crushed! Unit 02 is paralyzed! The Angel is resuming its previous route!"  
  
"Understood." Commander Ikari said coolly. "Rei. It's coming to you."  
  
"Understood." Rei said.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Looking down at Unit 02's broken body, Hikari finally allowed herself to weep. She had been warned that she would feel everything her EVA felt, like pain. But she hadn't expected to feel her hands closing around Unit 02, pushing it against the hard road until its back snapped. Now that Asuka was disabled, what hope did she have? No. She wouldn't allow herself to think that way. Shinji and Rei were still out there. They would try to save her as well. But Asuka had always said she was the number one EVA pilot, and neither of them had argued. If the best pilot couldn't defeat whatever had taken over Unit 03, what chance did the others have?  
  
That was when Unit 03 dropped to a crouching position and launched itself into a back flip. At first Hikari had no idea what the EVA was doing, but her question was soon answered as 'her' EVA fell on top of another EVA, pinning it to the ground. This one was light blue with white bars on its arms. That had to be Unit 00, Rei.  
  
As Hikari looked on in terror, a strange, white slime bled out of Unit 03 and fell on Unit 00's left arm. The slime actually seemed to bleed into the blue EVA. Hikari saw the mysterious liquid moving up Unit 00's arm, leaving a web like trail of raised lines, almost like blood vessels. Without warning, Unit 00's shoulder exploded. The infected arm went flying, landing somewhere behind Hikari.   
  
Evidently, whatever was in control of Unit 03 decided that Unit 00 was no longer a threat. Unit 03 stood up and resumed its course toward Tokyo 3. If Hikari had not been truly terrified before, she was now. There was only one EVA left operational. Wherever they were, Shinji and Unit 01 were her last hope.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Units 00 and 02 have been disabled." Shinji heard his father say. "Take care of it."  
  
And that was it. No strategic suggestions. No words of encouragement. Just orders. Shinji sighed deeply. He shouldn't have expected anything more from his father. But this time was different. This time he couldn't bring himself to follow his father's orders. Angel or not, there was a person inside Unit 03. A kid just like him, plucked out of their own life and drafted into this nightmare. What had happened to Unit 03 wasn't the pilot's fault, but the pilot would, nevertheless, pay for it. Probably with his or her life. How could he possibly fight, knowing that it could result in the death of another human being?  
  
"I....can't do it, Father." Shinji said.  
  
"You *will* do it." The elder Ikari responded. "That is an Angel; our enemy."  
  
"But it's an EVA too." Shinji said, staring at the monster walking toward him, silhouetted in the setting sun.   
  
"Irrelevant." the Commander snapped. "Destroy it!"  
  
Just then, Unit 03 dropped to its knees and launched itself at Unit 01. The force of the EVA's impact crushed Shinji's rifle and knocked Unit 01 to the ground. Unit 03 landed on all fours, looking more like an animal than an EVA. It was at that moment that Shinji finally let himself accept the fact that Unit 03 was gone. The Angel had control. His realization was confirmed when Unit 03 stretched its arms to an impossible length and wrapped its hands around Unit 01's neck. Shinji suddenly found himself unable to breath.   
  
The Angel lifted Unit 01 and slammed it against the elevated mountain road, tightening its fingers around the EVA's neck. Shinji was running out of air. But he couldn't fight back. He couldn't kill Unit 03's pilot.  
  
"Shinji." His father said. "Why aren't you fighting back?"  
  
"Because there's somebody in there." Shinji gasped, struggling for breath.  
  
"If you do not fight, it will kill you."  
  
"That's better......than......murdering.......some.....one!" Shinji could barely speak. His lungs burned from lack of air.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Damn it!" Gendo stood up. "Cut all synchronization between Unit 01 and the Third Child!" He ordered. "Prepare to engage the Dummy System!"  
  
"But Sir." Maya Ibuki turned around to face him. "The Dummy System is untested, there could be problems."  
  
"It's better than this pilot!" The commander yelled. "DO IT!"  
  
"We have another problem, Sir." Hyuga called out.  
  
"What is it now?" Gendo demanded.  
  
"Unit 02's pilot is refusing to eject!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asuka strained every muscle in her body, willing Unit 02's legs to move. But they would not. She was surprised to see Commander Ikari's face appear in front of her.  
  
"What are you doing?" He demanded. "Eject immediately."  
  
"But she's still out there!" Asuka said.   
  
"Your EVA has been immobilized." The commander said. "You've failed. Leave this to us now." His words struck Asuka like a bullet in her chest. *You've failed.*   
  
"No..." She whispered. "I won't fail. I'll save her. I'll save her. I'll save her." Those three words became Asuka's mantra; she chanted them so fast that they began to run together. "I'llsaveherI'llsaveherI'llsaveher." Asuka concentrated the entire force of her will on the shattered bones in Unit 02's back. Miraculously, she felt the bones begin to inch painfully back together. Asuka began to shout. "I'llsaveher!I'llsaveher!I'LLSAVEHER!!!!!!" With one final scream at the top of her lungs, Asuka pushed Unit 02 into a standing position, feeling the EVA's broken spine snap back together. She was whole again. Without another thought, Asuka raced after Unit 03 and Hikari.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Unbelievable! Unit 02's spine has completely regenerated!" Maya called out. "Unit 02 is pursuing the target."  
  
"Excellent." Commander Fuyutsuki spoke up. "Cancel Dummy System activation."  
  
"Ignore that order!" Commander Ikari said  
  
"But, Unit 02 is...." Fuyutsuki began.  
  
"We have to act before Unit 01 incurs any more damage." Gendo said, casting a glance at the screen where Unit 02 could be seen running at a breakneck pace toward the battleground. "She won't make it in time."  
  
* * * * *  
  
In Unit 03's entry plug, terror was giving way to despair and confusion. Unit 01 was completely still as Unit 03 strangled it. Why wasn't Shinji fighting back? Suddenly Hikari realized why. *It's because of me.* She realized *He won't fight because I'm in here.* New tears flowed from Hikari's eyes as she silently cursed herself for putting Shinji in this position. She knew Shinji would die before he would ever hurt another person. Her last chance at being rescued would let himself be killed because of her. It was then that Hikari lost all hope that she would ever get out of Unit 03 alive.   
  
Hikari curled into a fetal position and wept uncontrollably. She wept because she knew her own death could not be far off. She wept for the friends she would never see again. And for all the things she would never be able to do. She would never grow up, or graduate from school, or have children. She would never be able to tell Toji how she felt about him.   
  
Hikari was so absorbed in her sorrow, she barely noticed the green light in Unit 01's eyes fade, only to be replaced by a fiery red glow. Her first indication that something was wrong came when she felt a pair of powerful hands close around her neck. She looked up and saw Unit 01 staring at her. She almost thought she saw hatred in the EVA's red eyes. Second's later she felt the bones in her neck snap. Her entire body went limp.  
  
Part of Hikari was afraid, but another part was overjoyed. Unit 03 was disabled! Maybe she had a chance after all. It came as a total shock when Unit 01 lifted Unit 03 and slammed it into the ground. Looking up, Hikari felt fear creep back into her. Unit 01 looked like a demon. This couldn't be Shinji, nothing Shinji did could convey the sense of evil she felt from Unit 01 right now. She screamed in terror and closed her eyes as Unit 01 brought its massive fist down on Unit 03. Then Hikari felt the worst pain in her life as Unit 03's head was crushed. She felt herself falling into a darkness from which she knew she would never recover.  
  
Mercifully, she was unconscious when Unit 01 began its true attack.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Asuka rounded the mountain and felt her stomach turn. Unit 01 loomed over the motionless Unit 03, its eyes red with fury. Asuka could only assume that the purple EVA had once again gone 'berserk' as Dr. Akagi said. Unit 03's head had already been crushed, spraying blood and brain matter in every direction. The EVA's body had also been torn open, its internal organs hung obscenely out of a gaping hole in its torso. Now Unit 01 was tearing the fallen EVA apart with its bare hands, ripping out huge chunks of flesh and bone.   
  
Finally, the berserk EVA seemed to find what it was looking for. It pulled out a small metal cylinder, dripping blood and God only knew what other bodily fluids. Asuka realized with a start that Unit 01 was holding Unit 03's entry plug in its hand. And the look in Unit 01's eyes said that it might crush the plug at any moment.  
  
"Noooooo!!!!" Asuka screamed. She rushed Unit 01, aiming low like a football player, and tackled the purple EVA. The entry plug flew out of Unit 01's hand and slammed into the pavement hundreds of feet below. With a snarl of pure animal ferocity, Unit 01 turned and swung its mighty fists at Unit 02. Asuka deflected the first few blows easily, but Unit 01 showed no signs of slowing. Asuka had a terrible vision; Unit 02 lying still with its body torn open and Unit 01 ripping it to pieces. "Help!" She screamed. "Someone turn that thing off!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"The target is silent!" Maya reported. "But Unit 01 is now attacking Unit 02!"  
  
"That's enough." Commander Ikari said quietly. "Deactivate the Dummy System."  
  
The crew wasted no time in following their commander's orders. Within seconds, the light went out of Unit 01's eyes and the EVA slumped over, motionless.  
  
* * * * *  
  
As soon as Unit 01 stopped attacking her, Asuka lay Unit 02 down and ejected her entry plug. She leaped out of the EVA and ran to where Unit 03's plug lay, smashed and dented. She grabbed the emergency hatch and twisted it open. A wave of LCL poured over her as soon as she opened the hatch.  
  
"Hikari?" Asuka yelled. "Hikari? Are you okay?"  
  
"Asuka....?" A weak, quiet voice came from inside the darkened entry plug. "Is that you?"  
  
"Hikari!" Tears of joy leaped into Asuka's eyes. Her friend was alive! Seconds later, Hikari's face appeared in the small hatch. Hikari had a large bruise on her right cheek. And a huge gash above her left eye bled profusely; it would probably need stitches. But she was alive, and safe. "Are you all right?" Asuka asked.  
  
Hikari smiled weakly. "My head hurts." She turned to look at the twisted pile of flesh and metal that had been her EVA. "What did I....do wrong?" She asked.  
  
"What?" Asuka couldn't believe her ears. Did Hikari really believe this was her fault? She looked into her friend's eyes. "Listen to me, Hikari." She said. "You did *nothing* wrong. It was an Angel. An Angel got into Unit 03. It wasn't your fault."   
  
Hikari smiled weakly and nodded. Suddenly she seemed to lose her balance. Asuka just barely managed to catch her friend as she fell once more into unconsciousness.  
  
* * * * *  
  
High above, in Unit 01's entry plug, Shinji was having his own reunion of sorts.  
  
"Shinji?" Misato's voice rang out in the entry plug.  
  
"Misato!" Shinji cried. "You're okay!"  
  
"Shinji, I'm so sorry." Misato continued as if she hadn't heard him. "I couldn't tell you. The pilot. The Fourth Child.... It's....."  
  
Shinji looked down and saw Asuka helping someone out of Unit 03's battered entry plug. A girl in a dark gray plug suit. A girl Shinji knew.  
  
"Hikari?" Shinji couldn't believe his eyes. The pilot of Unit 03 was Hikari. She could have been killed. The nicest, sweetest girl Shinji knew. The very definition of an innocent. He had almost killed Hikari. Because of his father. Because of his father's cruelty, Hikari had nearly died. Suddenly, Shinji couldn't contain his rage anymore.   
  
"FATHER!!!!" He screamed. "GOD DAMN YOU!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"You know the Third Child is leaving for good this time, don't you?" Ritsuko asked the commander.  
  
"Let him go." Gendo replied, completely emotionless as always. "We don't need useless pilots like that."  
  
"But with Unit 03 destroyed we need as many EVAs operational as possible. *Someone* has to pilot Unit 01." Ritsuko began.  
  
"It is of no consequence." The Commander said. "We will proceed with Unit 01 using the Dummy System."  
  
"But Commander..." Ritsuko said. "The system is unstable, it requires further testing. Perhaps the Fourth Child could....."  
  
"No." Commander Ikari cut her off. "We have to keep our long-term goals in mind. Unit 01 is too valuable to be left in her hands. The risk of another incident is unacceptable. Officially, we will report to the council that the EVA went berserk as a result of mental instability in the pilot. The Fourth Child will be dismissed from NERV immediately."   
  
*You're going to blame this on Hikari?* Not for the first time, Ritsuko wondered if there was even a shred of humanity in Gendo Ikari.  
  
"The Dummy System is fine the way it is." He smiled, sending a chill down Ritsuko's spine. "It will serve its purpose."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hikari's first sensation upon waking up was the smell of disinfectant. The very next sensation was pain in her forehead. Hikari opened her eyes and saw that she was in the hospital. She couldn't clearly remember how she had gotten there, however. She remembered Asuka pulling her out of Unit 03's entry plug, but everything after that was a blur.  
  
Hikari was startled by a knock on the door. Looking up, she saw Toji standing in the doorway, a large bunch of flowers clasped in his left hand.   
  
"Hey." Toji said. "Looks like you're feeling better." Hikari smiled and sat up in bed, wincing at the sudden pain in her chest. "Careful." Toji said, suddenly concerned. "You've got two broken ribs. Take it easy."  
  
"How long have I been here?" Hikari asked.  
  
"Two days." Toji replied. "I had to bust a few heads but they finally let me in to see you." He smiled. "And guess what? Another day of 'observation' and you're out of here."  
  
"And then what?" Hikari asked quietly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Toji asked.  
  
"I mean EVA, NERV, what's going to happen?"  
  
"Well." Toji seemed to think a minute. "You'd probably have to ask Asuka to be sure, but I don't think they're going to rebuild Unit 03."  
  
"So I'm not the Fourth Child anymore..." Hikari said quietly.  
  
"Well you know what?" Toji said. "I'm glad." Hikari gave him a puzzled look. "I was never that into the Fourth Child." He explained with a smile. "I like Hikari better."   
  
Hikari returned Toji's smile. "So do I." She said.  
  
* * * * *  
  
  



End file.
